AMC, Rogers Reach Carriage Renewal Pact

AMC and Rogers Communications have reached a carriage renewal agreement that not only keeps the channel on the Canadian’s operator’s lineup, but expands its presence onto varied vehicles.

Under the new deal, AMC, which Rogers has carried in standard-definition, will soon become available in the high-definition format, as well as varied on-demand platforms.

The multiyear agreement was announced on Friday evening, after the parties’ contract expired on Feb. 28. There was no disruption in service, according to an AMC spokeswoman.

The pact ensures subscribers to the MSO’s VIP package can view AMC programming, including zombie hit The Walking Dead, Emmy-winner Mad Men and the final campaign of Breaking Bad, on digital cable, Rogers On Demand and Rogers Anyplace TV On Demand. That TV Everywhere service delivers live and on-demand content including, primetime shows, film rentals, live sports, news, and kids programming, to Canadians across computers, smartphones, tablets and Xbox 360 gaming systems. Rogers was Canada’s first cable to offer Web-based entertainment content streaming with RogersAnyplaceTV.com, which is also tied to customers’ cable subscriptions.

“We are pleased to have renewed an agreement with AMC that ensures our customers can continue to enjoy all the premium programming in the AMC lineup. We’re always focused on delivering the best content across all screens while keeping prices down,” said David Purdy, senior vice president, content, Rogers Communications, in a statement. “As a result, starting this March our customers can watch their favourite zombies, meth cooks and sixties-era ad executives in HD, and on demand across multiple platforms – something we know our customers want.”

Noted AMC president of distribution Bob Broussard: “We are very pleased to have reached a new long-term agreement with Rogers for AMC that recognizes the value and popularity of AMC and its award-winning shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead, the number one drama series on cable television. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Rogers and continuing to serve their customers with AMC's high-quality programming.”

The HD version of AMC is scheduled to launch on Rogers’ systems before the third-season finale of The Walking Dead later this month.